The Addition of a Variable
by A. O. Mirza
Summary: A plus sign – an addition in the equation Tony Stark didn't plan with, a new variable messing up all previous calculations. A liquor-filled fun night with his PA, Pepper Potts, has unexpected consequences for one billionaire playboy genius. No matter his brilliance, he wasn't sure if he had the solution to this equation.{Unplanned pregnancy AU: Peter is Pepper's and Tony's son.}
1. The Unexpected Variable

_Author's note: Hi! This is going to be the first work of a series of related drabbles, one-shots and multi-chapters all set in a universe where Peter is the son of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. This multi-chapter is written in the point of view of Pepper and Tony. It is only going to be 3 chapters long, but around 30K. Just a bit of an origin story to all the others which will take place at various moments of the MCU._

_Note before reading:_

_\- This is Tony Stark way before Iron Man and only having known Pepper for a year, so don't expect him to be happy about his PA informing him about becoming a father._  
_\- There will mentions/discussion of abortion so if you are sensitive of such topic, please don't read this story, just the later ones if you are interested in the universe._  
_\- Pepper is mostly referred as Virginia while in later works she will always be called Pepper. The reason is simple - she still uses her original name here having worked for Tony only a year._  
_\- English is not my first language, so sorry for the mistakes. I'm really trying._

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Unexpected Variable**

**Sunday, 26th November 2000**

The shabby table in the small apartment's kitchenette was full of half-finished bottles of hard liquor. Virginia Potts raised one of them without even checking the label and poured a glass generously first to her roommate, Jessie and then to herself.

"C'me on, Gin, you can't tell me you don't want to shag him!" Jessie exclaimed with a high-pitched giggle.

"Anyone who is even moderately attracted to guys would love to. Hell, one of my gay friends, Andy once told me that if she ever tried laying with a man then it could be only him," she continued. Virginia – or Gin as Jessie usually referred to her – just rolled her eyes.

"He is not even that impressive," she replied before she gulped down the content of the glass.

Whatever she poured so generously was as strong as she hoped but tasted like nail polish remover. Currently she didn't care much, instead she poured another glass. However, she mentally reminded herself to be the one to restore their alcohol stash next time, as something less acidic would go down easier. Her attention was drawn back from the alcohol by Jessie's baby blue eyes looking at her in horror laced with fascination.

"Wh-WHAT! Virginia Potts, have you seen your boss naked? I need your job," Jessie practically shouted her roommate's name but ended up hardly muttering the end of the sentence.

"You can have it," Virginia replied with a half-smile. "I don't want it myself anymore. Stark is nothing more than a privileged man-whore."

When those words left her mouth, she was already regretting them a bit though. After a year of working for the man, she knew that he was much more than that. However, it was surprisingly hard to describe someone as eccentric and brilliant as Tony Stark to people who didn't know him personally. Describing her job as his personal assistant was even harder. No one quite understood how close and distant he was at the same time with those who worked directly with him.

"Woh-ho! What did the douchebag do now?" Jessie asked pressing her lips together as if she was trying not to show her amusement.

As if on cue with a loud shrill Virginia's mobile started ringing. Without even checking the caller (knowing that after midnight it was either Happy Hogan begging for his help or a drunk Tony Stark ordering her around) she picked it up.

"Miss Potts, I'm right outside your apartment complex. Could you come down? I need your help with the boss," Happy asked and she replied swiftly. "Yes, of course."

Jessie looked at her strangely. Her roommate was an aspiring movie starlet who on most nights was either doing some odd jobs that were supposed to help her get famous or out in the nightlife of LA 'making important connections'. So Jessie never noticed if her roommate wasn't home either because she was needed by her boss.

"So, tough job?" Jessie joked, but a look from her roommate sobered her up.

"Very tough. It certainly was not in my JD."

Though she supposed that was not entirely true. Her job description did contain a comment or two that should have forewarned her of what was to come. A year ago, though she was wide-eyed and so damn happy at the possibility of moving up on the corporate ladder from a low-level administrative assistant who hardly did more than copy some documents to the personal assistant of the CEO and owner himself that she hardly cared.

Now she sometimes questioned herself if she made the right decision. On one hand, she got a glimpse of the real business world and got to be involved in cases with more zeroes on the paper than the amount of money she could even imagine. On the other hand, her current job was just as eccentric as her boss.

Hell, the worst part was that she only had such dark thoughts in the hardest moments when she hardly slept in days and she couldn't remember having a non-work-related talk in weeks if one did not count Tony Stark's extensive flirting. On most days when her mood turned sour, one nice or even slightly thoughtful comment from Tony could change it all. Honestly, it was the fact that he had such an effect on her that frightened her the most.

As she made her way down the stairs it was again that thought that made her decide that she was going to resign. It was most certainly not normal that she accepted having an undervalued position for some flashes of appreciation from her boss. She felt a fond irritation for him, but she suspected that just a bit of nurturing would result in unrequited feelings. She has known for a while that she had to get away from Stark Industries to protect her heart, but the time it took her to go down the four flights of stairs that was between Tony Stark and her apartment strengthened her belief.

One of his less flashy Audis was waiting outside. The windows were tinted so she could not make out the figures. She easily slipped next to Happy Hogan not surprised at all that Tony was behind them, though the lack of a female partner was indeed astonishing. Tony was in a flashy suit with a freaking sunglass on, no matter the fact that it was the middle of the night. She was a practical woman, so such a thing greatly annoyed her.

"Miss Potts tell Happy to take me back to the party," he ordered surprisingly fluently for someone who was most probably drinking from sundown. She looked at the driver slash bodyguard who remained silent. Happy rarely called her during the night, so whenever he did, she knew it was better not to question him.

"Mansion," was the only thing she said, and Tony, of course, started complaining about being kidnapped by his own staff and whatnot.

She needed but a week to learn to tune him out though. The journey from downtown Los Angeles to his mansion in Malibu was more than half an hour long and during that time Tony did not shut up for even a moment. The few times she cared to listen she learned that unsurprisingly before her there was another woman in the car ('a leggy blonde' as Tony put) who received a call from her nanny that her kid was sick, and she had to go home.

"She just left!"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. She knew that Tony had as hard time accepting not getting something he wanted. Sometimes she wondered if that restlessness was the reason why SI has become such an unstoppable force in the industry in his hands. One way or another Tony Stark always got what he wanted.

"Generally, parents care about their children's health more than about a quick shag, Mr. Stark," she couldn't help her sarcasm at the formal address.

No matter how brilliant and influential the man behind her was, he often reminded her of a little kid. She supposed the saying that there was a fine line between genius and insanity was based on Tony Stark.

"But what am I supposed to do now?" he asked like he couldn't imagine a night without a woman in his bed.

She didn't even try to answer that. In the year she had been working for him she also learned that there were just battles she shouldn't even engage in. Tony had a way of words, and while she usually enjoyed their verbal wars, she was too exhausted now to bicker. When Happy parked the car in front of the beautiful Malibu mansion, that still took her breath away every time she saw it, he looked at her seriously.

Dealing with Tony after a party was something Happy usually did alone. On most nights out he shadowed the billionaire, then took him and his escorts home. Her job usually started early in the morning when she had to make sure the girls left, and he was ready to work. She looked at the man next to her who had dark circles under his eyes. She supposed he called because he was simply too exhausted to deal with Tony anymore.

They could have just left Tony in the house, but even with alcohol blunting her mind, she knew his schedule perfectly. He had a very important meeting at nine o'clock, so he had to be presentable by then. She feared if she just left him here now, he would not be in the state to attend the meeting the next morning. No, knowing him he would drink all night instead of sleeping. She couldn't ask Happy to babysit him even more, but someone had to stay at least a bit to make sure he got into bed.

"Just go home, you need some rest," she told Happy.

She seriously needed resting too but she didn't add that. She knew even when Jessie suggested a bit of girls' night with drinking that it was a bad idea on Sunday. However, it didn't occur to her that she couldn't just fall into her bed when the alcohol knocked her out. Plus with both of their schedules being so packed, it rarely happened that they got to spend a night just hanging out, so she agreed. It was a mistake.

"You sure? How will you get home?" he asked uneasily.

"Don't worry, I'll call a cab," she replied simply.

There were also six guestrooms in the house if she was too exhausted to go home. She even kept some emergency clothing in his house just like in her office because in her line of work, one couldn't look bad. She prided herself of always looking ready to conquer the business world.

Happy shot her a thankful look. She needed only about five minutes to convince Tony that he should just go inside the house and not call a cab to take him back somewhere in the city. She was surprised that using the card of tomorrow's meeting worked. Tony cared about the project happening it seemed. He was sitting already on the beige sofa when she entered the house after saying good-bye to Happy. Tony reached for a glass bottle on the coffee table full of rich amber liquid she didn't know the exact content of, but she was sure it was something strong.

She sat down next to him. The sofa was surprisingly comfortable, it was not the type where the design was more important than the function. Though she supposed for a certain price the two could go together. On the sofa her mind wondered, and she came to the conclusion that this was the first time she wasn't completely sober when she had to deal with Tony. She didn't possess the same patience just now as she usually did. So she decided that letting him drink a few more glasses was an easier solution than taking it all away from him and forcing him into his bed just yet.

She couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment. A loud "Potts!" made her open them. A glass full of the same amber liquid he was drinking was right in front of her eyes, as Tony was shaking it in front of her. She needed only a moment to realize that her boss wanted to share a drink with her. She took it with a small smile. These little moments were the reason she hadn't resigned after a week like most in her position would have (and had done in the past).

"Thanks," she muttered and took a sip.

The liquid was so strong it burned her throat, but the ache was a welcomed one because the taste was so rich. She wondered how much a glass of whatever it was, costed. Knowing Tony Stark, it was better she didn't know, she decided even if she would have loved to have this stuff at home instead of whatever cheap liquor Jessie bought. Her musings were interrupted by the said delinquent.

"So, Pepper, what were you doing before Happy called you?" he asked conversationally. She couldn't help but laugh out.

"You mean before you ruined my night?" she asked, and Tony grinned. "Oh, and my name is still not Pepper," she added as an afterthought.

Indeed, it was an afterthought as Tony was right when he said she would get used to it when he gave her that nickname. Most of the people she directly worked with at Stark Industries were referring to her as 'Pepper Potts' by now, many not even knowing that Pepper was nothing more than a nickname made up by an irritating boss. She supposed she even liked it, simply because she was never fond of the name Virginia as she didn't like being named after a state she had never lived in, especially one which was named after a virgin English queen. However, one of the first things she learned about Tony Stark was after she started working with him that fueling his ego was a bad idea. Oh no, she always made sure to remind him that she was not called Pepper.

"Ah, Miss Pepper Potts, doesn't it sound delightful?" he asked leaning a bit closer to her than was necessary. Tony Stark was a flirt. However, a drunk Tony Stark flirted even more.

Her breath hitched. The thing was Jessie was not exactly wrong – there was something fundamentally charming about Tony Stark. He was far from the most handsome man she had ever seen, but there was something about the way he held himself that made pretty much every woman drop their panties without a thought as nothing more than an automatic reaction. She supposed being a genius and a billionaire did great things to one's ego and confidence.

She always denied being one of 'those women' but her liquor-induced mind couldn't help but come up with some fantasies. The fact that her ex had broken up with her more than six months ago (for 'choosing her work over their relationship') and she didn't even have the time or the chance to go on a date let alone for more to happen certainly did not help those fantasies.

"Not something I'll hear often soon enough. I'm resigning," she replied off-handedly. Tony stiffened but then a lazy smile appeared on his face.

"Well, good for you – cannot do it though," he said as if she was just making a stupid joke. Anger fueled by alcohol boiled in her.

"Of-of course I can!" she replied, and she abruptly stood up.

However, she was obviously at the point of alcohol consummation, where without any forewarning the booze suddenly affected her making the world spin. Tony stood up too and he put his hands on her waist steadying her. Now the world was spinning less, but Tony was directly in front of her. As usual, she was in high heels, so she was a bit taller than he was, but his dark eyes bore into hers directly.

"What'd I do without you, Miss Potts?" he mumbled, and she let out a high-pitched chuckle that she would have never made was she completely sober.

"Die, probably," she replied because honestly, she found it surprising Tony had never forgotten about basic human necessities for long enough to die before she met him. She supposed Happy kept him alive though she wondered about the pre-Happy times. Has there been always a trusted employee around who made sure he didn't forget to eat or sleep?

"Exactly! You don't wanna have my death as your fault, do ya?" he asked, and she just shook her head fondly. It was a bad idea though because now the world around her was even shakier. His arms snaked around her waist pulling her closer. She swallowed to stop herself from reacting to his proximity.

"You know, Miss Potts, you are more beautiful than that blonde," he muttered and now she couldn't help but shudder as he ran a hand down her right thigh.

This was where she should stop him. Tony was a flirt from the worst kind, but he was no jerk when it came to consent, he would get the memo if she just stepped away from him. However, Jessie's words rang in her ears: "Anyone who is even moderately attracted to guys would love to shag him." Standing in his arms she knew that no matter how deeply she had been denying it to herself and everyone around her, she was not an exception to this universal rule.

"I wasn't kidding about quitting," she replied shakily.

"Tomorrow, Potts," he mumbled as one of his hands found its ways into her hair tugging the hair tie that held together her stiff ponytail. The result was her long strawberry blonde hair flowing freely around them.

"I'm quitting, you can't order me around," she replied with no intention of stopping whatever they were doing.

This was not professional at all and she often prided herself for being able to remain professional in dire situations as well. However, she easily stopped that annoying guilty little voice in her mind by reminding herself that she would no longer be Tony's PA. Surely, using probably the last chance to do what most women would love to do was not a bad decision. She would be just another name on his long list of women but to her, it would be more than that – the Tony Stark, genius, playboy, billionaire and more importantly, the man that has plagued her mind for the last year.

"You sure of that? Potts, into my bed – now!"

In the end, she was right as they never made it to his bed. He kissed her first right after that, but they didn't get further away than the sofa (knocking over the carafe filled with the alcohol in the process, but hardly even noticing it).

**Monday, 27th November 2000**

She was used to sending home the women he arrived with to the mansion. She never would have thought that one day she would be one of those girls though. She woke up to pounding headache completely naked on his beige sofa that was surely worth thousands of dollars. He was still out cold next to her snoring peacefully looking more innocent than she ever had seen him.

She quickly picked up the pieces of her clothing from the floor and dashed into the guestroom where she had stored her stuff. She then had a quick shower and in about half an hour she looked as professional as ever in a just above knee-length dark grey dress and her hair in a perfect bun, the make-up hiding the signs of an alcohol-filled night and not enough sleep. She quickly started the coffee maker and once the coffee was brewed, holding two cups of it she sat down on the sofa hoping to wake her (ex-)boss.

"Mr. Stark, you have to wake up – Happy will arrive in about ten minutes to take us to the office."

Slipping back to the formal boss and employee roles was easier than should have been after what happened only a few hours earlier. She supposed no matter that there was no woman to escort outside just now the setting was still very familiar and this was part of her everyday job and routine. It took her another fifteen minutes (while sipping on her cup of coffee) to have Tony wake up.

"Ah, just another minute, Pepper."

She rolled her eyes and gave the other cup to Tony not caring about his usual "I don't like to be handed things" response. He was still utterly naked, and he didn't seem to care at all that his assistant was sitting next to him fully clothed ready for the day. This was part of the job she never could explain to anyone.

"So, about last night Mr. Stark..."

She was usually very good at controlling her emotions, but she was nervous to bring up what happened between them. She felt hot and knew without a doubt that her pale skin was betraying her again, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Tony was until now staring in front of him as if studying the mug in his hands but now he turned in her direction.

"You cannot quit, Miss Potts," he simply replied with his usual arrogance that made everything he said sound like an order. She gaped at him.

"That is not what I meant Mr. Stark. I wanted to talk about what happened between us thanks to the effect of alcohol we both consumed. I just wanted to apologize for losing my sense of decorum." To her immense irritation, he started to laugh.

"Oh, come on Potts! We are two adults here who had a bit of fun. If you don't sue me for sexual harassment and intimidation based upon power relations, we can just forget about it," Tony easily replied. She nodded hesitantly. She was of course not planning on any lawsuits as nothing happened without her consent, but she still thought that having sex with her boss should warrant more than a simple laugh from the said boss.

"Of course, my plan of resigning from my position and quitting Stark Industries is still in motion. You will have the papers on your desk today," she added in a rather detached tone finding a bit of strength in herself to slip back into her business persona. Tony frowned and put down his mug.

"I told you that you cannot quit, Miss Potts. Plus, I thought you didn't want to talk about that but the sex. Maybe all you need to change your mind about this nonsense of resigning is a second round?" he simply asked, and she pressed her lips together not even thinking about answering his question. She stood up and took her mug to the kitchen, making her way to his bedroom only to come back with a stock of clothing for him.

"You reek of sex and booze so shower and then dress up," she pointed at the clothing. "We will talk afterwards, Mr. Stark."

To her surprise, he didn't protest, and he disappeared in the general direction of one of the many bathrooms. She let out a sigh. They were only half an hour behind schedule which was pretty good by Tony Stark standards, better than most mornings, really.

She quickly picked up the pieces of the glass they broke, and the clothes Tony left behind and tried to clean their mess up while waiting for Tony. Happy found her in the middle of her stress-relieving cleaning, but he was smart enough not to comment on her mood or ask what caused it. Tony – probably the biggest genius on the planet right now – was not as smart of course.

"Happy, tell Miss Potts, she is being stupid. She wants to quit just because we had sex," he ordered his bodyguard as he approached them while buttoning up his shirt.

She stiffened and felt the anger boiling in her. How did he dare to announce that to the world like it was nothing, and like it was not something completely private? She didn't think of herself as a prude, she was most certainly a modern woman, but she certainly did not like her sex life being brought up in front of one of her colleagues while she was doing her job – especially if that sex life included her boss.

"I announced my resign before that happened actually," she said completely emotionlessly and straightening her back.

She crossed her arms and met his eyes. Happy seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else than between the two of them and honestly, she felt bad for the bodyguard. It must have been uncomfortable being in the crossfire of a one-day surely legendary battle.

"Come on, Pepper! If I fired all the women I had sex with at my company only fifty-year-old greying ladies would remain, or I would be accused of sexism," he replied with his usual acuteness and she once again felt the fond irritation she now associated with Tony.

She wondered if he really slept with so many of his employees or he just thought he was being clever with his response. She believed he was just being a smartass again as according to her observation, he usually found his one-night stands at parties and rarely had he appetite for anyone other than actresses or models. There had been a few reporters, scientists and even business partners in between, but that mostly only happened if there weren't any models around.

"Great, then you should be happy as you haven't fired me, I'm quitting. According to my contract, I have a month-long notice period, so don't worry Mr. Stark, you will have time to find a replacement, she can start by the new year," she answered promptly and gesturing towards Happy to get to the car.

There was a schedule to be maintained after all even if Tony was being an ass. She composed his agenda always leaving some leeway knowing that Tony Stark couldn't follow any schedule perfectly, but if she never prompted him to hurry, even with the added flexibility nothing would come out of it.

"Utterly irrational, Miss Potts – how could I find a replacement for you in so little time? How can anyone replace those legs?" He pointed to her legs which she knew seemed endless in her new high heels she put on for the first time the morning before. This time her eye rolling was good-natured.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., look up the legal regulations of the company and find a way to make sure Miss Potts can't quit," Tony said to the air, but she knew that the A.I. was probably already doing what was asked of him.

"Of course, sir."

With a huff, she exited the mansion and didn't stop until she reached the car. She was more than ready to pen that notice after Tony's stubbornness though she had to admit that somewhere deep-deep down she was touched by the fact that Tony still found her work essential even after she showcased such unprofessionalism as sleeping with him. She was somewhat surprised that he didn't want to get rid of her as he usually did of his one-night stands in fear of them getting attached. She hated her heart for beating so rapidly at the idea that he thought more of her than his usual conquests even if it was for professional reasons. It still meant that he appreciated her more than any of those perfect Victoria Secret angels.

"Even an A.I. won't find a way to stop me from quitting, Mr. Stark as I have the right to change jobs. I am also familiar with the content of my contract," she reminded him once they were all seated in one of the many cars he owned. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I could just double your salary," he said, and she couldn't help but shake her head.

"You already pay me a lot of money – you were pretty out of it when you signed my contract, tripled the sum saying the original salary was too little for dealing with you," she replied. Yes, her salary was never a problem. It was ridiculously high, really.

"I did? Huh, I always knew that there is never enough money to pay for people to handle me."

She was surprised to hear a dull bitterness in his voice as if no matter the money he had and was willing to give away people kept leaving him. She suddenly felt sorry for not only him, but for doing the same as well, becoming one of the many. If he said the exact same thing but the night didn't happen, she surely would have just withdrawn her termination, but how could she continue being his PA when they had sex? That memory – even if it was rather hazy thanks to the alcohol – would always stand between them and a real professional working relationship, wouldn't it? Honestly, she was not sure as she had no previous experience with such a situation. However, if she was afraid of her heart's state before yesterday, after the sex, she was even more worried. Obviously, she couldn't trust herself when he was around.

"I am really sorry Mr. Stark, but after what happened between us last night, I do not believe I am the right person for this job. It was very unprofessional of me. Please, accept that," she said with clear determination in her voice. "I will handle finding the right replacement, of course, you will just have to choose from the selected candidates."

She hated job hunting, but she knew that she needed a new workplace just now before her heart was permanently taken by someone who would never want it. She needed a job where she could keep the three feet distance and where she wouldn't get so emotionally attached to a playboy billionaire genius.

**Wednesday, 20th December 2000**

Between her usual work, trying to find her replacement, looking for a new job, keeping Tony out of trouble when everyone was in a party mood thanks to Christmas and getting him to accept that she was quitting for real Virginia Potts was truly exhausted. Currently, she was sitting in her office with another candidate in front of her. The girl, Sarah, was about the same age she was. She had dark brown long hair in perfect curls and big brown eyes, she was also skinny and curvy, with her blouse being just a bit tight emphasizing that she was very talented in the breast department. She even had those pouty lips the playboy billionaire seemed to love. Virginia was pretty sure that the girl would be hired on the spot if Tony saw her. She couldn't help being a bit judgmental of Sarah because of that.

"You do not have any previous experience as PA."

It was no question, but of course, the girl already started on a lengthy explanation. She leaned closer to the desk as if the physical closeness meant that Virginia would understand her lack of experience better and the PA was hit by the girl's strong perfume's scent. It was the sickeningly sweet type of perfume she never liked, but now it was more than that. Automatically she reached for the bin just under her desk, but the moment she had it in her hands she was already vomiting in it. The girl abruptly stopped talking.

"Are you okay?" she asked awkwardly. "I could come back later if you are not feeling well," she offered, and all Virginia could say was: "Please."

Sarah stood up and grabbed the folder she came with and left abruptly with a half-wave and while saying that she was going to call to set a new interview up. Virginia had half a mind to call the sushi place where she had her lunch, but then a more important problem came into her mind. She had lunch with Tony – she had to check if her boss got food poisoning too. If he was sick, she would have to reschedule his appointments after all and set up a completely new agenda for the upcoming days.

The office right next to hers belonged to Tony. She didn't knock knowing that Tony currently was not supposed to have a meeting, and as his babysitter slash personal assistant she often checked up on him, so it was not unusual for her to appear unannounced. When she walked in, he was sitting by his desk watching something on the screen of his computer.

"Ah, Miss Potts, I did not expect to see you just yet. Mrs. Smith said that you were interviewing your potential replacement. Complete waste of time though, because no one can compare to you," he said with his usual confident grin. Before she could reply there was knocking on the other door which led to the reception area and after a "Come in!" the receptionist, Mrs. Smith appeared with a cup of coffee.

"Mr. Stark, Miss Potts," the elderly woman greeted them and put down the cup on Tony's desk before turning to the PA.

"A coffee Miss Potts?" she asked but just as Tony was raising the cup Virginia was once again assaulted by a strong smell, this time by Tony's black coffee.

Not wanting to destroy another perfectly fine bin and not feeling like getting sick in front of her boss, she put her right hand on her mouth and practically ran out of the office directly to Tony's private restroom. Luckily, she reached the toilet just in time. After the bin incident she didn't think there was anything else to throw up, but she still spent awfully long time bending over the loo.

Leaving the toilet was awkward though. She noticed that Tony didn't have the cup in front of him anymore. He was already working again but he looked up once she reached him.

"Do you feel okay, Miss Potts?" he asked surprisingly nicely. She nodded half-heartedly.

"I think the sushi we had didn't agree with me. Do you feel well?" she questioned him, and he shrugged.

"Told you that you shouldn't eat that shrimp nigiri sushi, it looked strange," he replied, and she nodded easily. Her attention then was caught by the table of numbers on his screen and she swiftly asked after his impression of the report he was studying. She later noted with satisfaction how the food poisoning she had was quickly over.

That night was probably the first time in weeks she was at home the same time as her roommate, Jessie. While she felt better after the sushi-incident (as she labelled it), she decided to cut her usual ludicrously long hours a bit shorter. The said roommate was currently parading around the living room of their shared apartment in a ridiculously short red dress that highlighted her perfect curves but left about nothing to the imagination. Her blonde hair was in a classic updo and if Virginia was not so damn exhausted then she would have felt a bit jealous of the blonde who looked like she stepped out of a fashion catalogue while she looked like a complete mess.

Jessie popped down next to her on the couch abruptly. "Uh, I so don't want to go," she said miserably which surprised the other girl.

From the little conversation, they had recently most of it had been about this party. Jessie scored an invitation to a Christmas party hosted by some hotshot up-and-coming movie director and she had been telling Virginia how this was her big chance to get a life-changing role. Honestly, Virginia had heard the same being said about other events before, so she wasn't sure about that, but she didn't voice her opinion. Instead, she happily listened to Jessie rambling about all the important people in the show business who were bound to show up at the party.

"Why?" she asked incredulously. Jessie frowned.

"I'm dying," she said and the added, "Period pains."

Ah, that certainly explained just about everything. Virginia froze though because a thought occurred to her. Jessie's period always happened about two weeks after her own, but no matter how much she was trying to remember her own period in December, she just couldn't. She paled at the thought as thanks to the birth control pill she was taking every day ceremoniously her period was supposed to occur just about precisely in every twenty-eight days. The only reason for missing it would be…

No, she wouldn't even entertain that thought, it was not possible. She was taking the pills perfectly, always making sure to have them the same time every day. Still, no birth control method was a hundred percent safe, she knew that much, she was the type to research such a topic thoroughly. Surely, she was not the unlucky one of the statistics though? To make it worse the only man she had been in months was her soon to be ex-boss who was one of the most well-known playboys of the country. She wasn't even sure she knew what to think about the ridiculously 'wealthy, smart and eccentric' part.

"You okay, Gin? You look deathly pale," Jessie stated, and Virginia slowly nodded.

She was surely just exhausted and that was the reason why she couldn't remember her period. Not to mention that she had a highly stressful job, she could have easily just missed it because of all the problems she recently had. Yes, there was no reason why she should suspect such an unlikely explanation as pregnancy. She was too wasted that night a month ago to remember such detail if Tony used a condom but knowing her boss who hated responsibility and who as a playboy billionaire was always in paternity lawsuits (everyone and their mothers wanted to have his kids for the sake of fame and money) she couldn't imagine him being so careless.

"I'm okay, just a bit tired, lots of work, you know. Tony has disappeared for the night in his workshop and business is slow thanks to the upcoming holidays so I might actually get some sleep today," she simply answered with a faint smile.

There was no way of course that after so many women who wanted to get pregnant with Tony's child turned out to have kids with other men instead, she would be the one who ruined Tony's perfect childless record. No, she was just being paranoid, she was sure of it.

**Thursday, 21st December 2000**

The next morning, she was less sure of her supposed paranoia as she was woken by severe nausea which screamed 'morning sickness' even if all she knew about pregnancy came from romantic comedies and trashy books. This time she couldn't even reach the toilet soon enough instead she had to vomit in the kitchen sink.

Luckily, Jessie's party must have been a real blast because she wasn't yet home. Honestly, she had no idea how she would have explained this to her roommate. After cleaning the sink, she sat down on the cold tiles of the bathroom as she was not yet over the nausea. She decided to stay close to the toilet as she still felt quite sick to the stomach, though this time she was close to crying as well.

Her right hand slipped to her belly automatically, but there was nothing there to feel. As she was sitting there on the floor with her hand around her flat belly, she was quite certain that it was not the shrimp that caused this. As if taunting her a box of unopened tampon was sitting on the top of the washing machine, the brand she used and not Jessie.

She stood up and swiftly crossed the tiny bathroom. In the highest bathroom cabinet, Jessie and she had a calendar, she grabbed that and started studying it. She noted that this month held no signs at all – probably Jessie hadn't marked her period just yet and she was reminded of the fact that she had missed hers. Turning back to the previous month she found her own writing with red on 12th November. She had to close her eyes when she saw that – it meant that she was about two weeks late. Worse, thanks to all the paperwork required on her part she knew well that she officially handed in her notice on the 27th November meaning that the night before when she had sex with Tony was circa two weeks after her last period. If she remembered anything at all from all the SexEd classes she had in her life, she very well could be like – she did the math quickly – six weeks pregnant. She closed the cabinet door on the calendar forcefully like putting it away and getting rid of the evidence would just stop this from potentially happening.

It was a workday, but she was not sure how she was supposed to go to work after such thoughts occurred to her. How could she look into Tony Stark's eyes and not break down crying?

"Honey, I'm home!" She heard Jessie's cheerful voice. Virginia couldn't reply instead she was silently sobbing on the cold bathroom tiles like the hot mess she was. Their apartment was not big enough to hide so she wasn't surprised when Jessie opened the bathroom door only a few minutes later.

"Ah, there you are!" she said enthusiastically but one look at her roommate's face was enough to ruin her mood as well based on her changing expression.

Jessie sat down next to Virginia in that tiny piece of clothing that was her sexy red dress putting her arm around the other girl who now had tears running down her face. They were sitting on the floor for about ten minutes before Jessie spoke up.

"Do you want to talk about it, Gin?" she asked softly, and her roommate shook her head. It was another few minutes later that Virginia decided that it would be better if she talked about it.

"I think I'm pregnant," she muttered, and Jessie stiffened.

"I didn't know you had slept with anyone recently," she said cautiously. It was indeed true. Virginia convinced herself that having sex with Tony was a good idea with such arguments as to how great of a story it would be, but the truth was, it was something she didn't feel comfortable sharing – not even with Jessie.

Maybe it was the professional personal assistant part of her, or her loyalty towards Tony and the Stark Industries was still strong but now that there might be a baby involved the idea of telling anyone who the only candidate for the father post was, had made her even more uncomfortable.

If she really was pregnant and the story leaked, no matter if she decided to keep the baby or not, it would be all over the media. That was not something she wanted, not for herself, but not for Tony or the company either and especially not her baby if she was to have it. If she was pregnant it had to be something between the two of them only, she decided. It was not that she didn't trust Jessie, but she decided that repeating the same story to everyone (except for Tony who obviously would know better and Happy she supposed) would be safer.

"Adam from Legal asked me out for a drink last month, we got drunk, had a good night, I thought that it might turn into something but the next day I learned he was married, so that was all," she simply said though she was not sure how believable her story was because she was always a bad liar. Tony even told her that he wanted her as his PA for that exact reason when the whole story with the pepper spray happened.

She supposed if she really was pregnant, she would have to practice telling her little tale so it would sound more believable. However, just now she had the pass of being upset, so she didn't think Jessie suspected that the story was made up on the spot. Honestly, she had no idea if there was a married Adam at Legal as Stark Industries had thousands of employees. She didn't feel bad for naming anyone though because she knew that her reluctance to provide further details would discourage people to investigate the story and look up the supposed father as she obviously didn't want to do anything with him.

"Remember my pregnancy scare a few months ago? I brought home like a dozen pregnancy tests, but used only two or three, so I just stashed all the remaining ones in one of the outs of the way cabinets. I think you should check – maybe you're upset over nothing."

Virginia was eternally grateful then for having a friend like Jessie who even knew what she was going through having the same happening to her not too long ago. She nodded while wiping away her tears. Jessie opened first one cabinet door and then another. She needed only about two minutes to turn around with like five long boxes in her hands. She was thoroughly studying them.

"Okay, so none of them has expired, but as all of them are different brands we should check the description of all, there might be some differences and we don't want faulty results."

Virginia nodded through her tears. Between the two of them, it was not a long process. While some of the brands varied in the length of waiting time and had different methods to show the results, all were the very basic 'peeing on the stick' kind. Once she had four of the sticks on a piece of toilet paper on the sink Virginia sat down on the floor again with Jessie following her suit.

"What if – what if they are positive?" Virginia asked softly. Jessie started stroking her roommate's hair as if Virginia was a small kid in need of comfort.

"Well, then there are all three options available still – keep, adopt or abort. It wouldn't be the end of the world."

Virginia knew this of course. Still, on paper and in theory it was completely different. She always prided herself of being a feminist and she thought that if she ever faced an unplanned pregnancy the choice would be obvious. As someone exceptionally organized something that was not in her plans just wouldn't do, it couldn't happen. Yet, now on the cold floor with the tests on the edge of the sink, for the first time the choice did not seem obvious at all. She knew most certainly that if she carried the baby for nine months, she wouldn't be able to give them up. So, there were just two real options – both frightening in their own ways.

"What would you have done if you were pregnant?" she asked so softly that she was surprised when after a long moment Jessie answered. She didn't think her friend heard her.

"Go straight to an abortion clinic and then chicken out, decide to keep the baby only to realize what a failure I am and then give up the kid so a normal family could bring him up," Jessie gave an oddly specific answer which suggested to Virginia that her roommate a few months ago had her thoughts running wild the same way she was experiencing now. She wondered if Jessie had ever spent dreamless nights wondering about 'what ifs' since the day she learned it was a false alarm.

"You're stupid, you'd make a great mom," she insisted. The only answer she received was a bitter chuckle.

"C'mon, between the two of us you are the mature and successful one, that's a fact. Tony fucking Stark has been wailing like a kid for a month for losing you as his PA."

Virginia wanted to point it out that if she were such a collected adult, she wouldn't be sitting on the bathroom floor just now but be on her way to work, but she remained silent. The fact that if she was indeed pregnant it would be by the said boss kind of proved to Virginia too that she was not the perfect mature mother-material as Jessie thought.

"Could you really give up the baby?" she asked instead imagining signing away a baby she had just given birth to. No, no matter what the test said she decided adoption just not for her. She looked at Jessie who pressed her lips together.

"If I knew that the baby would be cherished? Yes. I barely make enough money for one person, Gin. I can hardly pay half of the rent, if it wasn't for you, we would've lost this place a long time ago. I'm a mess. Sure, if the baby daddy was a billionaire and I didn't have to give up my dreams for some underpaid nine to five monotonous job while not being afraid that my kid won't have anything to eat the next day it would be different, but you know that the potential father was Danny, never more than an extra, Andrews."

Virginia nearly stopped breathing at the 'billionaire baby daddy' part. To her so far, the fact that if she was pregnant it was Tony Stark's baby seemed like an added obstacle, a problem and not a solution. Really, she thought 'Adam from Legal with a wife' as the father would be a simpler situation. It was strange to hear Jessie talking about such an outcome as a positive one.

"Isn't it time?" she asked awkwardly not knowing what to reply.

She was not sure if she was ready to know the result, but she knew that sooner or later they would have to get up. Jessie had some fizzy drink commercial to shoot at twelve if Virginia remembered correctly and she should have already been on her way to work. She was still not sure how she could survive this workday no matter the outcome, but that was a problem for later.

Jessie checked her watch. "The quicker ones should surely be ready by now and the longer ones might be too."

Virginia nodded hesitantly. She slowly got up from the floor feeling not only nauseous but dizzy as well. As the world was spinning around her, she grabbed the edge of the sink to support her. She closed her eyes for a moment before she dared to look.

She saw the tests but honestly at first, they made no sense to her, her mind was completely blank. Then suddenly the information shown reached her mind: 'pregnant', plus sign, two lines. From the four sticks, she ended up using there was not even one that didn't imply in some ways that there was a baby growing in her tummy currently. She suddenly felt violently sick and dashed to the toilet hugging the cool white porcelain as if it was the only thing holding her together. While she was retching Jessie must have checked the results herself, because once Virginia flushed the toilet her friend just silently hugged her while she wept.

"It's going to be okay," Jessie repeated like a mantra. Virginia was not so sure. "We are just going to book an appointment for you to an OB/GYN and go through the options."

Options. That one word made the whole thing a lot more real for Virginia than all the plus signs together. Options meant that as an adult she would have to make a mature decision over life and death because there was a baby growing inside her that a few weeks ago was only a few cells but in a few months' time, would be a functional human being. Well, a human being that would need to be looked after, but the same was true for Tony freaking Stark, so she supposed it still counted.

"I-I can't go to work today," she muttered into the fabric of Jessie's dress which she probably ruined with her tears. She hoped that the dress didn't cost Jessie too much.

"You should text your boss, write that the sushi wasn't bad, but you have a stomach bug and you are terribly ill today," Jessie suggested, and Virginia nodded lifelessly.

She felt too upset to even react to the irony in Jessie's 'stomach bug' excuse. In the end, she was shepherded into her room to take a nap and Jessie took her phone and wrote the text instead. Virginia couldn't even imagine ever facing Tony Stark again and she was glad Jessie took it upon herself to alert him of the absence of his sick PA because even the idea of writing something that he was to read seemed frightening for now.

She spent hours in her bed silently weeping, sometimes even shaking from the endless flow of tears. She was laying in the bed in a fetal position hugging her pillow as if her life depended on it. Jessie checked on her ceremoniously, but then she had to leave for her shooting promising to bring some food with her when she came home.

Instead of getting sleepy from all the crying she became restless from the hours spent in bed. She got up and reached for her mobile calling the one person most women in her current position would turn to – her mother. Her mother always had Thursday afternoons off, so she wasn't surprised when the call was answered.

"Hi, darling. Got the afternoon free? Never thought that would happen," her mother enthusiastically greeted her.

"Hi M-mom," she replied as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What's the problem, honey? Are you hurt?" Obviously, from one short sentence, her mother had caught on that she was upset.

"No-no… I'm pregnant, Mom," she replied, forcing out the words knowing that it wouldn't get easier if she waited any longer. Her mother remained silent for a moment. She impatiently waited for an answer though honestly, she didn't know what she wanted to hear.

"You don't sound happy, honey. Do you consider it bad news?" she softly asked and now it was Virginia who was unable to reply.

When she was young, she always imagined that one day she would have kids. She didn't know the specifics other than that it would happen after she was married, but it seemed like the mature adult thing to do, part of life. Then she grew up and found herself being an independent woman and suddenly the thought of having children and a great career at the same time didn't seem to work. She thought that she was too ambitious to spend her days changing diapers and wiping off drool. Children after that realization were just not part of the plan.

"I decided during college that I wouldn't have children," she answered carefully. Her emotions were not to be trusted right now so she wasn't about to reply directly to the question.

"You know that your father and I would support you no matter what. You are an adult, honey, it's your decision. Think about it though and give it some time. It's not a decision you should make overnight," her mother advised her. "Don't worry darling, we will work this out during the holidays."

Honestly, she was not sure how they could 'work it out', but just telling it to her mother and hearing her reassuring words calmed her down somewhat. She felt like a child again who got in trouble and felt too young and inexperienced to find a solution herself, instead turning to her mother who was able to always save her and find the right answer to the problems.

"I-I don't know what to do, Mom," she muttered not sure if she even wanted her mother to hear her words. Admitting defeat was not something she was good at.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's okay to feel that way. I promise you, after some days at home things will get better. By the new year, you'd know what to do."

Virginia believed her mother then. That very moment the idea of a solution seemed unimaginable, but like a little girl still awed by her parents, she felt that she could trust her mother's words. The new year seemed so close and yet so far at the same time.


	2. The Expression with the Addition

**Chapter 2: The Expression with the Addition**

**Saturday, 6th January 2001**

The A.I. let her in without a question probably having sensed that Virginia was on a mission. She was determined to go through with it. As she took the first steps, she clenched her fists, and straightened her back. She didn't meet her replacement as she crossed the house, which meant that the poor girl still thought that it was a regular nine to five job. She wondered how long it would take until the new PA learned her lesson. Not more than another week, she decided.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., does my code for the shop still work?" she asked the A.I. as she took the first steps down the staircase towards the workshop.

"Yes, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark is certain that you will withdraw your resignation, so your clearance hasn't changed with the end of your official notice period."

So, maybe J.A.R.V.I.S. only let her in, because she was authorized to enter any time she wanted. It didn't falter her determination. Instead she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Though deep down she liked how Tony remained adamant that she should be his personal assistant. It also made her job just now easier, though she knew once she blurted out her reason for her visit, he would permanently change his mind. She was certain that this would be the last time they saw each other which was a sobering thought. As she crossed the marvelous living room of the mansion, she couldn't help but take another look at everything. However, the moment her eyes landed on the beige sofa that caused this bizarre situation she quickened her steps. She didn't need the memories that surfaced at the thought of what exactly happened there about two months ago. She was wasted that night, but not drunk enough to forget everything.

"Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S. Please inform Mr. Stark that I'm here."

At that moment she certainly didn't possess the tolerance to bear Tony not even noticing her which happened whenever he got lost in his work. No, she wanted to be over with this conversation as soon as possible. She was hardly brave enough to have it in the first place. She has been giving herself pep talks for the last week and she nearly chickened out at least twice. It was now or never, she decided.

The A.I. system didn't trick her, because she easily accessed the workshop so few could ever enter. She caught sight of Tony and she couldn't help, but frown as he looked like he hadn't left the workshop in days at least. He was all sweaty, his T-shirt had various sized and shaped spots and holes on it, his beard wasn't trimmed, and he had awful dark circles under his eyes. Obviously, the new PA hasn't learned yet either that she was responsible for pushing Tony into taking care of himself. The job description of the position should be more detailed.

"Pepper," he called out more enthusiastically than ever before.

He rarely liked to see her, because she always pushed him into attending events and meetings he didn't want to. She supposed that as she wasn't his PA anymore, her visit meant something different to him. Maybe on some level he genuinely liked her as a person or at least appreciated all the work she had done for him. The thought made her nauseous knowing that in a few minutes his enthusiasm would lessen.

"Mr. Stark," she acknowledged him with professionalism as she approached him. He put down some sort of device he was holding and wiped his hands in a rag that laid on the bench next to him. It was always interesting to see this side of Tony Stark as the general public could only ever see him as a successful CEO or as a billionaire playboy in designer suits. She often wondered which of those personas was the real Tony. She suspected that while it was a mix of all three, tinkering his machines made him happier than stuffy meetings or parties.

"I think the new PA, Kirsten, pretty much hates me already," he pouted like a little kid. "I want you back, Miss Potts."

Just as Virginia reached him, she sat down on a stool next to the workstation where Tony must have been tinkering before she arrived. She needed to take a few deep breaths before she could tell him the reason of her visit. The smell of the machine oil hit her fueling her nausea. She wanted this all to be quickly over, before she lost her lunch too, but at the same time she still wasn't prepared to face the consequences of the truth.

"Her name is Christine," she replied as she crossed her arms. While she supposed it was important for Tony to remember at least the name of her replacement, it was her way of stalling. She needed another moment to get herself together.

"Really? Are you certain?" he asked with a contemplating look.

The biggest genius on the planet couldn't remember the name of his assistant. That thought calmed her down a bit. Suddenly Tony didn't seem so frightening. He was just another guy even if his name was written on several buildings. Well, not just another guy, she supposed, because he was the only that knocked her up. The father of her child – the thought made her even more nervous though she didn't believe that was possible. She needed this to be over with already. It wasn't like she didn't know how he would react. She had been around him for long enough to know his view on the paternity cases presented to him.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out. Being straightforward seemed in this situation the simplest solution for both parties in her opinion.

Tony, who returned to the workstation and picked up the discarded device while she remained silent, turned around with such haste that he practically threw away the piece of metal. The device landed with an enormous bang making her shudder. Tony's eyes were wild, and the effect of the sleepless nights were even more pronounced this way. She should talk to the new girl.

"W-what did you say?"

The way he said those words made Virginia sure that he didn't want to hear the same sentence repeated. However, it was the truth and it wasn't something to just take back when voiced. She knew that even if she took it back it was too late as she has already ripped off the band-aid. It was out in the open and nothing could change that. Even if she had decided not to keep the baby, it was something that changed their relationship forever. She was pregnant with his baby.

"You knocked me up in November," she simply replied as confidentially as she could, given the circumstances. "I'm about eight weeks along, the baby is coming in August."

She placed her right hand on her tummy. She didn't show yet at all, but she knew that in a month or two the whole world would be able to see her little secret that currently was just the size of a kidney bean. She didn't expect Tony to react well, but the hurt clearly displayed in his dark eyes was maddening. He didn't seem angry, instead he was sad which she didn't understand at all.

"I never expected you to be that type of woman, Potts," his voice was quiet, but strong.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter like he needed the support. He looked at her with such intensity she could barely meet his eyes. Suddenly she felt like she had done something awful and caused him pain, even though the situation they faced was certainly both of their fault as they were both willing participants of the act that resulted in this conversation. It wasn't like she forced him to have sex with her or that she got pregnant on purpose. However, she supposed he might think that she did want to have his child just to trap him like so many women tried. She crossed her arms as well as if it helped keeping herself together. It didn't work, but it wasn't the right moment to break down even if her hormones have been toying with her ever since the start of her pregnancy.

"Before you start accusing me of being a gold-digger, let me tell you, Mr. Stark that I did not plan on having children at all, and certainly not with someone who sleeps with different women every day. I have been taking the pill daily, precisely at the same time, but no contraceptive method is hundred percent safe other than not having sex at all," she ranted.

He remained eerily silent which was unlike the Tony Stark she knew. He always cut everyone off like only he had the privilege to rant. She took a deep breath, and waited for him to respond, but he didn't answer. He just looked at her with disdain. Great, her baby daddy clearly hated her guts and thought she was the worst gold-digger ever. She must have been a lot worse in his eyes than the other women who presented him their pregnancies because they had known each other for a year instead a day.

"You obviously have some things to say to me, so just do it," she told him.

She was angry. The silence felt heavy between them. She knew that whatever he was going to say would hurt, but she had to know what he thought about all this. She was great with worst case scenarios, so it couldn't be worse than what she was currently imagining. Whenever she thought about this conversation, she imagined some shouting but certainly not silence. She would have been more comfortable with simple anger than this twisted hurt she saw displayed on his face.

"You know, _Pepper_, I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you, but clearly, I was wrong."

That hurt more than it should have, after all Tony Stark was simply her ex-boss, nothing else. It wasn't like her boyfriend didn't want anything to do with her when he knocked her up. It was just a cliché one-night stand with her boss. Though part of her knew that it wasn't the complete truth. After all she resigned because she was developing unhealthy feelings for the said boss. It didn't occur to her until now though that thanks to those feelings, she would be upset by his expected rejection to the idea of having a baby with her. The stupid pain she felt made no sense to her practical mind as she knew Tony Stark was not going to be happy when another paternity case was presented to him. At least pregnant women were expected to have some irrational moments, so she had that excuse.

"Look, Tony, I decided to keep the baby not because I know for certain that you are the father, but because I got attached to him so quickly, I just couldn't get myself to abort him. Honestly, I don't care at all about the other fifty percent of the baby's genes just about the ones he gets from me. I just always thought that the guy providing the remaining DNA is supposed to at least know about his contribution. I don't need or want anything from you, I simply felt that you ought to know." She was once again surprised that Tony didn't cut her off. He was far from patient after all. His expression didn't lighten, so her monologue didn't help much.

"Was I the only one you informed then?" he asked with a sardonic grin that she never liked on his face.

She kind of expected the question in some form, but it still made her somewhat mad. After all he told her he wanted her as his PA because of her inability to lie. Did he expect her to lie about such a big thing? Especially as it was so easy to prove right or wrong? Nowadays a bit of sample was enough to prove paternity after all.

"I don't sleep with different people every day, Mr. Stark. There certainly was no one else to inform, because I have been working twenty-four seven in the last year." She was getting mad. She should have known that she couldn't remain calm for the entire conversation.

"Great. As you intended, you informed me, Miss Potts, so please leave me now. My PA, _Christine_, is going to be here any minute. I have work to do," Tony abruptly said.

She felt hollow somehow. She didn't expect this visit to end any better, but while imagination might be more spectacular, reality always hurt more. She nodded.

"It was an enlightening conversation, Mr. Stark. Thank you for your time," she replied as she swiftly got up and started walking in the direction of the door.

Deep down she hoped to hear him speak up, telling her to stop and talk some more about this situation, but of course, it didn't happen. She couldn't keep herself from looking back for a second and she saw him already again working on something like the last ten minutes had never happened. She was surprised that he let her leave without having to sign anything. If she was anything like the women he referred to, she could go and knock on the door of the first tabloid agency selling her story for lots of money. She supposed it didn't even occur to him just now, but while she didn't even hope to hear from him ever again, she certainly expected a call from his legal team. She knew this wasn't the end of the story.

**Monday, 22nd January 2001**

His large office with the endless view through the floor-length windows seemed too small and sufficing now for Tony when his secretary, Mrs. Smith announced his personal lawyer, Mr. Crawley. The man wore a perfectly tailored dark suit with a matching but not conspicuous tie as always when they met. He was tall with narrow shoulders and a disappearing hairline. His eyes seemed huge behind the glasses that magnified them.

"Mr. Stark, you were rather vague on the phone. How can I help you?" he asked after a swift exchange of greetings.

Mrs. Smith also left with the promise of bringing back some coffee. Tony sat down in his chair and then he pointed at the one in front of the desk. The lawyer took place as well and he put down the large dark suitcase that he always had with him.

"I would like to inform you about a potential… paternity case," Tony said with some hesitation. He hated this whole situation. He was Tony Stark, so he was above nervousness. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair.

He noticed that the lawyer straightened his back. Tony supposed he sounded more nervous about the topic than he usually did. It was something that often came up between the two of them. As the majority owner of a privately held Fortune 500 company and a known playboy, he was often the desired baby daddy of every women he every had a relationship and more. The funniest cases were when he knew for certain that nothing that could led to a baby happened between him and the woman. Some people were desperate.

He knew that the lawyer was surprised because the women claiming him as father of their children rarely had the chance to inform him directly of the situation. Mr. Crawley usually knew about these claims way before Tony did. Most of the times Tony just sat back hardly remembering the case even happening while his legal team handled the complete hassle. He was paying them lots of money to work these situations out. He had more important things to do – like being the CEO and the Head of R&D of a conglomerate at the same time.

"This time it's a bit different as the woman in question is my previous PA, Virginia Potts," he replied nearly stumbling over the name, having always thought about the redhead as Pepper Potts.

The lawyer seemed unimpressed for a second, but he quickly took control over his facial expression. Tony supposed Mr. Crawley didn't like office relationships, or simply he understood that this time the situation was a bit more delicate as it involved an employee of SI and someone very close to Tony's life. Maybe the lawyer foresaw in his mind the potential headlines: "Heated Moments in the Office – Tony Stark Knocked Up His PA" or "The Truth About Stark Industries – Baby Mommy Shares All"

"I see. I need more details though. Is there any difference to the previous cases other than the fact that the mother-to-be is an ex-employee of Stark Industries?"

Tony never had any problem with talking about sex, but he knew that his lawyer did. On the other hand, he was always somewhat uneasy during these meetings fearing that one day there might come a claim that was proven true. So these possible paternity conversations were always painfully awkward to both parties.

"She is…"

Honestly, Tony had no idea how to tell the lawyer about his current predicament. He feared voicing his suspicions, because it would make it all more real – and it felt too real already for his liking. It was all something out of a nightmare. He just couldn't wake up. Whenever he closed his eyes, he remembered Pepper in his workshop with her hand on her stomach telling him repeatedly that she was pregnant. It couldn't be happening.

"She was working for me for a whole year and I hired her as my PA, because she was not only obviously competent, but she was bad at lying. She is a pretty straightforward-type of woman."

He could still remember meeting her for the first time in this office and her absurd claim of pepper spraying the security guards. Mr. Crawley pressed his lips together and started writing in a little notebook that Tony didn't even notice he had before.

"So, you believe her claim?" Mr. Crawley pressed him with some urgency in his voice.

Never had Tony seen his lawyer show so much emotion. He supposed the man sensed that this time the result could be different. It scared him more than he thought it could. He expected this meeting to be bad, but he thought that the lawyer would make him feel instantly better. Mr. Crawley was the type of guy that could solve any problem. The best lawyer money could buy in LA hence his appointment as the head of Tony's personal legal team.

So far, the man only made Tony even more nervous. Then again, if his ex-PA's claim was real, Tony didn't know what the man could even do to make the situation any better. There would be a kid who was his child biologically – the thought made him shudder.

"I didn't at first," he admitted after a long moment of silence. "Not when she informed me. I just told her to leave. She did."

"And now?" the lawyer questioned him.

Under the intense gaze of the magnified eyes, Tony suddenly felt like a little kid being scolded and interrogated even though he was thirty years old and not ten, and Mr. Crawley was his employee, not his father. Fuck, he couldn't even imagine what his father would say now, if he was here.

"I don't know, but she seemed pretty certain of the paternity."

Part of him wanted to add 'like they all do', but something felt different this time around. Maybe it was only because he trusted Pepper as his PA. She always knew what to do in every situation and how to solve any problem, quite like Mr. Crawley. He believed in her abilities and competence. Hearing from her that he was the father of her child sounded way more real than from any other of his one-night stands. This was a paternity case where he was already afraid to see the DNA test result, because he certainly wasn't sure that it wouldn't announce him as the father.

"Have you had any contact with her since she informed you about the pregnancy?" Mr. Crawley asked, and Tony simply shook his head.

He didn't add that he asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to keep him updated about Miss Potts's whereabouts and he learned that she moved to San Francisco and started to work for a subsidiary of SI, AccuTech. It was strange to know that she left town, but at the same time, he found it oddly entertaining that she was still in some ways working for him. If it ever came to that point, it was also a card in his hand. However, he hoped this case wouldn't turn so ugly that such cards would be needed.

"Has she informed you what she is planning to do with the pregnancy?"

Oh, yes. How easy it would be if she didn't want to continue the pregnancy. Then again, she probably wouldn't have told him about it at all if she had aborted it.

"She's already decided to keep the child," Tony answered quietly.

"I see. I do not believe I need to detail the actions steps we need to take having been through this situation before. However, I believe this time it would be better if you took the next step. So, we should talk about what you need to discuss with Miss Potts."

He suspected that his lawyer would want him to be more involved in this case, having known Pepper for much longer than his usual one-night stands but honestly, he would have liked to just forget all about it. Though, he supposed even if he was left completely out of it, it would still plague his mind. Yes, to calm him, he needed to see a paper saying that there was zero percent chance of him being the father. He wasn't sure what was to happen though if the test said the opposite.

**Friday, 16th February 2001**

The AccuTech main building in San Franciso was not that different from the headquarters of SI in Los Angeles in appearance though it was much smaller. He was sure that it had been years since he visited this building. Honestly, he couldn't even remember why AccuTech was in a different city. Surely there was a good reason for it? He would have to look it up, he decided.

So when he entered it, he was not surprised that the receptionist in the lobby didn't sit up straighter as the one in the HQ did. She obviously did not recognize who she was dealing with. She was maybe a few years younger than he was with long dark curls and pretty eyes, but his reason of the visit soured his mood, so his interest wasn't instantly piqued.

"Good morning sir, how can I help you?" she asked leaning a bit forward, giving him a good view of her décolletage. Any other time that could have grabbed his attention, but even that didn't work now as his mind was on a strawberry blonde-haired ex-PA. Pepper was in the building, and the thought of facing her again had distracted him completely.

"I'm looking for Mr. Arthur Carter. He is the Head of Finance." He leaned closer to the counter like he was sharing some secret and added: "That's my name right under AccuTech."

He pointed towards the big blue-white logo of the company on the wall that had with smaller black letters 'Stark Industries' written under it. The receptionist looked at him with wide eyes for a moment, but then she nodded. She probably recognized him now, because she didn't ask for any identification to prove his claim.

"Yes, Mr. Stark, of course, let me check." She reached for her mouse and started writing something on her keyboard. It seemed like forever to Tony until she looked up.

"His office is on the third floor, room thirteen. He doesn't currently have a meeting, so he is probably there. Anything else that I can help with, Mr. Stark?" she asked.

Honestly, he didn't need her help at all, but he thought that pretending that he had to meet the Head of Finance would be a good way to stop rumors from spreading. There was probably going to be at least one person who recognized him while he was in the building, so it was better to have an alibi. The worst the employees at AccuTech would now think was that Carter was playing bigger games than he ought to and it caught the attention of the CEO of SI himself, Tony Stark.

The truth was Tony didn't know anything about Mr. Carter and had no desire to meet him, but Pepper was working at Finance and according to J.A.R.V.I.S. her office was right next to Carter's. He thanked the receptionist and received a badge after telling her that no, he didn't want her to call Mr. Carter. When he stepped into the elevator, he was glad to see that it was empty and when he exited it on the third floor, he still didn't bump into anyone. He easily found room thirteen, but he ignored it completely, instead he opened the door of room twelve without knocking.

The office was much smaller than the one she had back at SI, was the first thing he noticed. She was sitting by her desk, but when their eyes met, she abruptly stood up. His glance shifted from her eyes to her body and he nearly lost his footing. She was wearing a white jacket with the buttons undone and under it a dark blue dress which was perfectly fitting for the office's business casual dressing style, but even from the front he noticed that the form fitting dress showed a small baby bump. The sight shouldn't have surprised him as he knew perfectly well that she was pregnant, but he didn't expect to be presented with such undeniable proof. He thought that she would still be as slim as the last time he saw her even if that was more than a month ago.

"Mr. Stark, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she asked as if she didn't just cause his head to spin. Then again, she probably didn't even realize how that bump that she proudly showed off messed him up. "What are you even doing here?"

"I felt like we had some topics to cover," he said.

He stepped closer to the desk and without invitation he sat down on the chair. He hoped that she would do the same because while she was sitting, he wouldn't see the curve of her stomach that was taunting him currently.

"You shouldn't be here, Mr. Stark. I work here and I don't want rumors to escalate," she said as she sat down. The desk was tiny so the distance between them was small. He could easily notice the pink flush under the light brown freckles on her pale skin that warned him of her anger.

"I thought you would be more upset if I turned up at your apartment," he admitted it.

She raised her eyebrows, but she didn't seem surprised at all that he would know where she lived. She probably worked long enough directly under him to know exactly how good he was in getting any information he desired and that such small matters as privacy or laws didn't exactly stop him when he wanted something.

"You could have just called like any other normal human being, or maybe sent an email. You know my contacts, so you can reach me." He smiled wryly at her.

"Would you have answered?" he asked, and she pressed her lips together.

"You were perfectly clear back in January. I don't see what else there is to talk about."

Pepper was always stubborn much like himself, so it didn't surprise him that she wasn't impressed by him turning up in her office. If it was any of the other women who ever claimed the same as she did, he knew they would be over the moon that he acknowledged them this way. After all, he was here personally, he didn't just send a lawyer and he even travelled all the way to San Francisco. Pepper was different. He knew that already though. He supposed he wouldn't have turned up in another city if she wasn't.

"Look, I was shocked by your news, and I didn't exactly give us the chance to talk about this, but since then I have realized there is much to discuss."

She seemed surprised for a moment, but she was quick to put on an emotionless expression. While Pepper Potts did not excel at lying, she was certainly good when it came to poker face. She was born to be a businesswoman, that he had realized already just from the fact how effective she was as his PA. She had the whole business persona mastered.

"That was not an apology, but more than I expected." She sounded a bit more welcoming than before. "I'm surprised that you are here, I thought that I would never see you after that last time – only your lawyers," she replied.

"I had some people to meet here anyways, so I thought I would check in with you as well," he answered easily. He didn't want her to know that he travelled all the way to San Francisco just to talk to her. He needed to feel like he had some control over this conversation. He didn't like not having the winning cards to himself.

"Yeah, sure. Who else are you meeting? Can you name anyone working in this company?" she asked challengingly.

"I am having a meeting with Mr. Arthur Carter, the Head of Finance," he replied swiftly saying the only name that came into his mind. Her expression showed that she didn't believe him at all. So before she could ask what business he had with her new boss, he changed the topic.

"According to J.A.R.V.I.S. we had sex on the 26th November. Crawley wants to see what the estimated time of conception is according to your OB/GYN visit and wants you to have the test done as soon as possible." Pepper still didn't look impressed.

"Then Mr. Crawley is a creep, but you're in luck. I've just arrived back from my latest prenatal visit, so I've got all the documents with me. Also, tell your lawyer that I'm not going to lose my child just because he's impatient. Currently only invasive prenatal paternity testing exists as I'm sure he knows, so he has to wait until after the baby's born for the result."

She reached for her handbag that was in the corner of the office behind her desk. It took her about a minute to pick up a folder and put it down in front of Tony. He wasn't sure he wanted to see what was in it but had to know for certain if there was even a possibility that he was the father, especially now that he learned she was not going to get the DNA test done until the baby was born.

When he opened the black folder what he first saw nearly gave him a heart attack again. He was no doctor, but he did recognize an ultrasound picture especially because the baby's form was easy to identify. He certainly didn't expect the baby to look like – well, a baby. He turned it down quickly, though he knew that he couldn't erase the sonogram picture from his mind. He started looking through the papers, but he probably wasn't quick enough, because Pepper grabbed the whole folder, and a second later she pointed to a row on one of the documents. It said:

_Most probable conception dates: Nov 24, 2000 - Nov 28, 2000_

What he saw didn't surprise him, because for a while now he was nearly certain that Pepper was not lying, but it still made his stomach twist. If the doctor's estimation was correct than he saw very little chance that he wasn't the biological father of the child currently growing in that small bump that wasn't there only a month ago.

"Look, I know that this is not what you wanted, I get it. Really, I don't want anything from you and if you wish I'm willing to sign anything to declare so and an NDA that I won't sell this to the media. I don't want to ruin you or SI, I hope you understand that. I made the decision to become a mother, but that doesn't mean you have to be a father. You have the choice as well. I just wanted to give you the chance to decide."

Well, if he was the father of her child, then at least he probably knocked up the most reasonable one-night stand he ever had. She certainly didn't seem as vicious as any of the women he had to deal with for a paternity case. He studied her for a moment, and he noticed other subtle changes in her appearance. Her cheeks were a bit fuller, her hair a bit shinier though in a familiar bun and her breasts seemed to have grown just as much as her previously flat stomach. She has changed, but overall, she still looked quite the same woman he had known for a while. It was hard not to trust her, when she could have him sign anything as his PA and yet she never wronged him. No, she was always a trustworthy employee.

"Did you know that in California there is no limit to the child support? It is all based on the income of the parent paying with the logic that the child ought to have the same luxuries the parents can afford. I'm a multibillionaire, do the math." He watched curiously her reaction. Her eyes widened and her right hand disappeared under the table, now probably resting on the small bump.

"I guess then I understand all the paternity lawsuits you are always facing, especially as I know that the mothers are not obligated to disclose what the child support was spent on," she commented. He nodded and was about to reply, when she continued.

"But I also know, Mr. Stark that in California the birth certificates can be viewed by anyone, so it never occurred to me to have you added to it. It certainly wouldn't stay a secret for long after all, and as far as I know child support can be only demanded if the name is on the birth certificate."

"For someone saying they didn't want anything with me, you certainly know much about child support," Tony said somewhat bitterly. For a moment he thought she was different, but obviously he was mistaken. To his surprise his bitterness made her laugh.

"My friend, Jessie, researched the question after I told her that I decided to keep the baby. She thinks that the father ought to pay after he wronged me. The part about the limits didn't come up, because she doesn't think the baby daddy is rich. After all I told her that I had a date with a guy named Adam from Legal at SI which ended in bed only to learn that he was married the next day," she explained, and he looked at her curiously.

"So, you have been lying about… this," he gestured towards her not wanting to voice such words as 'pregnancy' and 'baby'. It was all too real for him already with the pregnant belly and the sonogram picture.

He was pleasantly surprised though that she wanted to keep this between them and haven't shared it yet with just about anyone. He of course knew that it hadn't hit the papers yet, so she obviously hasn't sold the story, but he thought it was just a matter of time until someone she told to did. The fact that she wasn't the one looking up the child support topic was good news as well. She might not have been after his money unlike all the others before her. Maybe this whole situation wouldn't be as catastrophic as he imagined in the workshop when she first uttered those dreaded words.

"When I learned that I was pregnant, I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that I didn't want to end up as a tabloid story, and if I didn't choose abortion then there was also the baby to consider. I didn't want my baby to be trashed in magazines before he was even born. I trust my friends, but I thought the less people that knew the truth, the easier it would be to keep it under wraps."

He had to admit that he was glad that if someone was to ruin his childless state, it was a woman like Pepper who seemed to care about the baby more than the publicity and the money she could receive. He for a moment entertained the thought what the child she raised would be like. Obviously smart and competent, but also kind and caring, he decided. He quickly shooed the thought away.

Pepper was right. She made her decision to keep the baby, she signed up for the job of being a mother. However, he was not planning to become a father – certainly not now, but most probably never. It just wasn't part of his plans. Even the mental image of himself trying to change a diaper was laughable after all. He was Tony Stark: genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. Father just didn't belong on that list.

"I have a proposal for a settlement for the child if the DNA test proves paternity. Mr. Crawley will be pleased to know that you are planning to keep the name off the birth certificate, but we agreed that should the child be mine, then you will still receive an agreed upon sum instead of the official child support. I don't want to rob you or the child," he told her, and she nodded.

"I am more than capable of providing for the child, but we can agree on a fund for education. I want what is the best for the baby, and if he wants Ivy League then he should get that if he can."

Business was something they were both good at, so their conversation easily swayed to numbers. The sum she proposed was ridiculously low especially compared to the child support she would receive if she went to court. He understood that she wanted to protect herself and the baby from the vicious media, but he couldn't understand why she didn't fight for more. If the child was really his as he was suspecting, then she had much better cards in her hands than she was willing to play with. It was hard to understand after the women he met before who wanted as much money from him as possible.

When he voiced that thought, she just shrugged but then added like it was just an afterthought. "I enjoy working, and I get good money for what I do – at a company you own actually, so I get my money from you anyways. However, it's not like I need that ridiculous amount you are willing to give… but I'm glad that you want to aid the baby financially."

She did seem happy when they decided on the exact terms of the contracts, even though it was much less than he would have settled with. She didn't ask any questions about much heavier topics than money – like involvement. He was pretty sure that she understood without having to bring it up that even if the child was his he didn't want to be part of its life.

"Then I will contact Mr. Crawley when the baby is born so the test can be arranged," she said, and he nodded. For a moment it seemed like she was waiting for him to say something, but then she offered her hand.

"I think this concludes our meeting then, Mr. Stark." That surprised him. While they talked about all the points his lawyer advised him to discuss with her, he didn't think their conversation would end so abruptly.

"Miss Potts, you were very cooperative, thank you for that," he said. "You know how to reach me if you ever need anything."

She nodded. That was it. They both said good-bye and he left the office being satisfied as it all turned out much better than he expected. He wondered if he were to ever meet her again.

**Friday, 10th August 2001**

The moment her water broke, Virginia sent a text message to Tony informing him about the baby being born. She didn't expect him to turn up in San Francisco once again, but she thought that he would at least respond. However, after twelve hours of labor she now held a baby in her arms, but she still didn't receive a text from him. Her mother and father were there with her though, so she decided that it didn't matter. Her little boy might not have a father, but he was already loved by his mother and his grandparents. Without a father it might not have been a conventional one, but it certainly was a family.

"So, will you tell me now the name of my beautiful grandson?" her mother questioned her somewhat impatiently.

Virginia looked at the tiny face of her newborn son. His eyes were open and wide, and the color was dark blue currently, though she has been told that in the upcoming year it was likely to change. As Tony had brown eyes, the chances of the baby inheriting her own light eyes were small. The bit of fuzz that was his hair was already much darker than she ever had.

"Peter – Peter Benjamin Potts," she replied stroking the cheeks of her baby with her index finger. She noticed that her father was obviously touched by the middle name. She had a hard time choosing a first name, so she told her parents she would only decide on it when he was born. In the end it was easier than she expected to name him. The name just felt right when she looked at the pudgy and red-faced baby.

"Oh, darling. Such a beautiful name for an amazing little boy. Don't you agree, Ben?" her mother asked her father. Her light eyes much like her own ones were full of tears.

"Thank you, sweetheart," her father got up from the plastic chair and kissed her cheek. "I'm proud to have such an amazing namesake. Why Peter though? Is it just a name you like?"

The truth was not something she was willing to tell even her parents, so she just agreed that yes, she liked the name and it was nice that his first name and surname started with the same letter. Really, the truth was more pathetic than she was willing to admit even to herself. She chose the name 'Peter' because it reminded her of 'Pepper', a name Tony gave her. He might not have wanted anything to do with the baby, but the child in her arms was still their son. It seemed fitting to name the baby something that reminded her of Tony. No one needed to know that though.

"He is my little rock," she cooed to the baby referring to the meaning of the name Peter. Yes, it was a nice name, she decided.

Her mother leaned closer to the baby studying every feature of him, which made Virginia roll her eyes. Peter was a newborn, squishy and red, just like every other newly born baby. She certainly didn't recognize any of the tiny features. The only apparent feature was his very dark hair color, but she already knew there was a big chance the baby would have Tony's coloring instead of her own as that was high school level genetics.

"Well, I think he will have much in him from his father. Surely, he will have his dark hair and eyes," she stated. "Wonder if we will have a little genius. Seems to be in his genes."

"Mom, please forget about the topic. He is out of the picture, end of the story," Virginia replied impatiently.

She was willing to lie to everyone about the father of her baby, but her parents. She felt that they needed to know the truth, and they deserved it. They were supportive of her decision of keeping the baby and being a single mother, and about her agreement with Tony as well. However, it didn't mean they didn't bring up the topic of the missing father more than she would have liked. They wanted the best for her and Peter, she knew, but they were old-fashioned people. The idea of raising her son alone while the father was not around was not something they took lightly. They wanted Tony to be there for Peter and couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to be.

Especially her mother who seemed to have this wild dream of Tony Stark one day turning into a househusband. It seemed she was certain that if Peter turned out anything like his father (let it be his looks or his brains), Tony would suddenly want to be the perfect father. Virginia was always more practical than her mother, but she did silently agree that one day Tony might be interested in his son, especially if Peter grew up to be a genius. She didn't think he would really want to be a father though – he made it perfectly clear to her on multiple occasions that he never planned to be one.

"Oh, come on, darling. That man will want to have a son one day. He is just too young to realize it yet. However, he basically has an empire, so he needs an heir."

Virginia didn't want to argue with her mother, so she just let the comment slide. She shared a look with her father though who was not impressed at all by Tony for not 'stepping up' as he said. According to him no good man would not acknowledge his child. Virginia of course argued that she didn't want Peter's paternity announced to the world either, but her father was not forgiving when it came to his daughter. Apparently, Tony could only be an awful guy for not showing up when she was giving birth especially as he owned a private jet.

"He hasn't even answered her message, now did he, Maggie?" her father obviously couldn't let the topic drop. Virginia just sighed.

"Please, can we talk about anything other than him? He made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want to be involved, so he is nothing more than a sperm donor. Peter doesn't need him and neither do I," she stated firmly.

She loved her parents and greatly appreciated everything they had done for her especially in the last year since she had learnt she was expecting Peter, but she knew the topic of her son's father was something they couldn't agree on. They just couldn't let it go as she would have liked to. Based on their expressions though they both felt bad for upsetting her. Her mother reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry darling, you are completely right. This is Petey's day, everything should only be about him," her mother replied, and Virginia couldn't help but smile at the baby's first nickname.

The door opened and a nurse came in with a huge and beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was a mix of white, yellow, orange and red roses. She had a smile on her face when she presented the dozens of flowers.

"There is a note as well. I believe someone was very eager to congratulate to the new mommy and welcome this beautiful boy," the nurse said as she placed the vase on the bedside table. Her mother reached for Peter automatically, and Virginia gave him to her. She then took the card that was next to the vase. The note was printed, but the message was clear: _Congratulations on the birth of our child._

"See, I told you he wouldn't just ignore it," her mother said eagerly as she spied on the card.

Virginia just rolled her eyes once again, but she couldn't help feeling a bit better spirited as well. She had to admit that even if she didn't expect anything from Tony, it hurt when she thought he didn't even care about the birth of the baby. It was also nice that even though the DNA test wasn't done yet, he obviously accepted that he was the father. It might not have been much, but it was an acknowledgement in her eyes, no matter what her father had said. Maybe one day Peter would get to know his biological father.

**Wednesday, 15th August 2001**

Mr. Crawley entered the room with a white envelope in his hands. This time he wasn't even announced, he just walked into the office. Tony had expected the lawyer to come that day having been notified of the finished results, so he told the secretary to let the man in, an appointment wasn't needed. He wondered what his newest PA, who only started two weeks ago, would think about his schedule being ruined. After all, he had a meeting in ten minutes, but no matter what the paper in the envelope said, he believed this conversation would be longer than that.

"It wasn't exactly quickly," he grumbled after shaking the hand of the lawyer and gesturing towards the chair. Mr. Crawley took his place and put the daunting envelope on the desk between them.

"I thought it better to have a usual hospital-done paternity test than one at some private lab. Less flashy, but just as correct. It takes more time I admit, because you can't just pass some money to get it done faster," the lawyer explained.

Any other time this explanation wouldn't have satisfied Tony and he would have some choice words to the lawyer. However, he has never been so nervous in his life before. His mind was simply blank. He didn't care at all for the excuses. He just needed to know the verdict.

"Have you… opened it?" he asked dumbly. Mr. Crawley looked sympathetic for once when he shook his head.

"It's your test result. I thought you ought to see it first," Mr. Crawley replied.

The difference to the usual situation was obvious. The lawyer never seemed to have a problem with checking the test result before. This time the man must have sensed that Tony was emotionally invested in the outcome, and that he wanted to see the fateful printed words himself.

Tony reached for the envelope and slowly opened it. Inside there was only one paper. The test result was prepared for dumb people to understand it as well, so he only needed to the glance at it to know the result. At the top of it with bold letters it said:

**Probability of Paternity: 99.9998%**

**Combined Paternity Index: 536,264**

There was an explanation underneath. He automatically started reading even though he already processed the information that he was proclaimed the biological father. Understanding and accepting were too vastly different things though. As a genius processing any data was simple to him, but it didn't mean he had an easier time accepting those pieces of information than anyone else.

_The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on the results of the analysis obtained from the DNA loci listed, the probability of paternity is 99.9998%. This probability is calculated by comparing to an untested, unrelated, random individual of the Caucasian population (assumes prior probability equals 0.50)._

Underneath the alleles of the child and his own ones were compared. He noted blankly that the conclusion was not faulty as the baby had one of his own alleles in every case. Statistically speaking it was pretty much impossible for that to happen if he was not the father, or as the index said he was five hundred and thirty-six times more likely to be the father than another Caucasian man.

"So, what does it say?" Mr. Crawley asked after a few minutes of total silence while Tony was staring at the piece of paper unmoving.

"She wasn't lying," he said, and he tossed the document to the lawyer who looked at it with raised eyebrows.

"You do not seem to be surprised. I thought that the positive result would upset you more," Mr. Crawley said slowly as if he was speaking to some wild animal ready to strike. Tony couldn't help but laugh out. It was not a cheerful sound though.

"I've known since February when I met her at AT. I was too upset to realize that she wasn't lying in January, but when we met… It was obvious she was telling the truth. I didn't want to, but I believed her," he replied somewhat bitterly.

He had months to come term with the result, so it was just an official confirmation of something he had known for a long time now, but still it was different now that there was an undeniable proof lying on his desk. He felt oddly empty and his mind was blank, something that very rarely happened to him.

"I have met her at the hospital. She is willing to proceed as was discussed. She signed every paper without any reclamation," Mr. Crawley said as he leaned back in the chair still studying the test documentation. As he put it down their eyes met.

Tony smiled at the lawyer wryly. "Should I be glad that the one woman I really knocked up is not a complete gold-digger?" he asked. Mr. Crawley was silent for a moment, obviously not knowing what to say.

"Well, it makes the situation easier to handle. You pay a sum you will not even miss or notice, and she raises the child as she wants. Everyone is satisfied."

Tony didn't react. It was hard to classify what he was currently feeling, but 'satisfied' was certainly not the word he would have used. The thought of a squirming baby with half of his gene set was baffling. None of this felt real, even though he could still read the paper laying on the desk upside-down.

"So, that's it?" he asked completely at loss of how to handle the situation. The lawyer neatly folded the paternity test and put the paper back in the envelope which then disappeared into his suitcase. The evidence was not there anymore like the situation never existed at all.

"She is very cooperative, so I believe that is all, Mr. Stark. I do not expect to have any problem in the foreseeable future."

According to his lawyer all problems were solved. Yet, somehow it didn't feel like that to him. He was stupid enough to open the text message Pepper sent only a few days ago. It contained a picture of a newborn in a baby blue hat and his name written underneath it. Peter Benjamin Potts, the message said. It seemed surreal. He had a newborn son named Peter living in San Francisco. He had a son, but he was certainly not going to be the child's father. Tony wondered if the boy would grow up calling someone else 'Daddy', and if he ever learned who provided half of his DNA. No matter what, the names Peter and Potts were going to haunt him for the rest of his life, he knew.


End file.
